That the Parliament notes with concern the findings of the recent report by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Foundation, Where have all the children gone?; understands that the report sheds light on what it sees as the troubling trends of school absences in Scotland, with the number of children who were persistently absent in 2022-23 at an estimated 62% higher than pre-COVID-19 pandemic; further understands that nearly one in three children were persistently absent in 2022-23, and an estimated 2.7% were severely absent; agrees with the CSJ Foundation that the Scottish Government must urgently detail a response to what it sees as this crisis, including a plan for more comprehensive and regular collection of data, and commends the CSJ Foundation for its commitment to improving children’s education and outcomes.
Supported by:
Colin Beattie, Miles Briggs, Alexander Burnett, Jackson Carlaw, Katy Clark, Sharon Dowey, Tim Eagle, Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser, Kenneth Gibson, Maurice Golden, Pam Gosal, Jamie Greene, Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, Craig Hoy, Liam Kerr, Stephen Kerr, Monica Lennon, Edward Mountain, Willie Rennie, Douglas Ross, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance, Sue Webber, Annie Wells, Tess White, Brian Whittle